I traded my Lemon Meringue Pie recipe with a co-worker whose parents had a very popular Chinese restaurant to get the secrets to this dish. You can customize it with more or different veggies, by varying the ratio of Hot Chili Garlic Sauce and Honey to increase or decrease the spiciness, or make it with different meats.
Ingredients
- Four Servings White Rice
- 2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Corn Starch
- Water (enough to create a thick batter)
- 4 cups Vegetable Oil
- 4 cups Frozen Asian Vegetables
- 1 tbsp. Hot Chili Garlic Sauce
- ½ cup Honey
- ½ tsp. Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
Directions
- Prepare four servings of white rice.
- Heat oil in wok or a large skillet over Medium High to High heat.
- Cut chicken in to small, bite-sized pieces of equal size.
- Mix flour, corn starch, and water into a thick batter.
- Add chicken to batter and mix until all chicken is well coated.
- Confirm that oil is hot by flicking a few drops of water into the wok. It should be hot enough that you have the impulse to jump backward from the stove when the water hits the oil.
- Carefully drop individual pieces of chicken into the oil. Be brave! It’s a bit like dropping rocks into the mouth of a volcano. The closer you get the chicken to the oil before you drop it, the less it will splash, likely saving you a trip to the burn unit at the emergency room.
- Cook until golden brown.
- Remove chicken from oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Remove oil from wok but do not wash or wipe. You want to have a coating of oil remaining in the wok.
- From this point on, you will be flipping and stirring constantly, so have everything within arm’s reach!
- Return wok to heat and add frozen vegetables. Cook until just hot. Do not overcook as they should still be firm and crisp.
- Add cooked chicken to vegetables in wok and combine.
- Add hot chili garlic sauce, honey, and sesame oil, and mix until chicken and vegetables are thoroughly coated. You might be thinking, “I just dumped out four cups of oil! Why add sesame oil now?” Charlie always said that adding sesame oil gives food “Real Chinese Flavor,” so don’t skip it!
- Remove from heat and serve over white rice.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds.